Triple-blade ice skating footwear and associated method

Abstract

A multi-blade ice-skate footwear includes a foot-retaining section with a substantially planar bottom surface, a first blade adjustably connected to an anterior portion of the bottom surface, and second and third blades adjustably connected to a posterior portion of the bottom surface and spaced from the first blade respectively. The ice-skate footwear includes a mechanism for selectively biasing the first blade along a first reciprocating linear path while simultaneously biasing the second and third blades along second and third reciprocating linear paths respectively.

1. An ice-skate footwear for assisting a novice user to maintain balance and stability during ice-skating procedures, said multi-blade ice-skate footwear comprising:
 a foot-retaining section having a substantially planar bottom surface; 
 a first blade adjustably connected to an anterior portion of said bottom surface; 
 second and third blades adjustably connected to a posterior portion of said bottom surface and being spaced from said first blade respectively; and 
 means for selectively biasing said first blade along a first reciprocating linear path while simultaneously biasing said second and third blades along second and third reciprocating linear paths respectively. 
 
   
   
     2. The ice-skate footwear of  claim 1 , wherein said first reciprocating linear path is equal to said second and third reciprocating linear paths respectively;
 wherein said selectively biasing means automatically displaces said first blade along said bottom surface while synchronously displacing said second and third blades along said bottom surface and thereby proportionally adjusts said ice-skate footwear between a low-speed mode and a high-speed mode based upon a single user input. 
 
   
   
     3. The ice-skate footwear of  claim 2 , wherein said high-speed mode is defined when said first blade is linearly displaced to a fully extended anterior position while said second and third reciprocating linear paths have respective maximum values defined between said second and third blades and said lateral sides respectively. 
   
   
     4. The ice-skate footwear of  claim 2 , wherein said low-speed mode is defined when said first blade is linearly displaced to a fully retracted posterior position while said second and third reciprocating linear paths have a minimum value between said second and third blades and said lateral sides respectively. 
   
   
     5. The ice-skate footwear of  claim 2 , wherein said selectively biasing means comprises:
 a rotary dial configured along an exterior wall of said foot-retaining section; 
 a first linear shaft statically coupled to said rotary dial and being rotated in sync therewith, said first linear shaft having a threaded outer surface extending along a longitudinal length thereof and being oriented at a first angular direction; 
 a rotary gear statically coupled to a distal end of said first linear shaft and being rotated in sync therewith, said rotary gear having a toothed outer circumference and further being medially interposed between said first and second blades; 
 a second linear shaft statically coupled to said rotary gear and being rotated in sync therewith, said second linear shaft having a threaded outer surface extend along a longitudinal length thereof and being oriented at a second angular direction, said second linear shaft being oriented parallel to said first linear shaft; and 
 first and second stabilizing rods connected to said lateral sides of said bottom surface and being registered orthogonal to said second and third blades respectively; 
 wherein said second and third blades linearly reciprocate along said second and third reciprocating linear paths when said rotary dial is articulated along an arcuate path respectively such that said second and third blades simultaneously travel towards and away from said rotary gear when said rotary dial is articulated along clockwise and counter clockwise directions respectively. 
 
   
   
     6. The ice-skate footwear of  claim 5 , wherein said selectively biasing means further comprises:
 a rectilinear track formed along said bottom surface of said foot-retaining section; and 
 a third shaft operably and directly mated with said rotary gear in such a manner that said third shaft is linearly reciprocated along said track and said first reciprocating linear path when said rotary gear is articulated along clockwise and counter clockwise directions respectively. 
 
   
   
     7. An ice-skate footwear for assisting a novice user to maintain balance and stability during ice-skating procedures, said multi-blade ice-skate footwear comprising:
 a foot-retaining section having a substantially planar bottom surface; 
 a first blade adjustably connected to an anterior portion of said bottom surface; 
 second and third blades adjustably connected to a posterior portion of said bottom surface and being spaced from said first blade respectively; and 
 means for selectively biasing said first blade along a first reciprocating linear path while simultaneously biasing said second and third blades along second and third reciprocating linear paths respectively; 
 wherein said second and third linear reciprocating paths are mutually exclusive and non-overlapping with said first linear reciprocating path; 
 wherein said second and third linear reciprocating paths are registered orthogonal to said first linear reciprocating path respectively. 
 
   
   
     8. The ice-skate footwear of  claim 7 , wherein said first reciprocating linear path is equal to said second and third reciprocating linear paths respectively;
 wherein said selectively biasing means automatically displaces said first blade along said bottom surface while synchronously displacing said second and third blades along said bottom surface and thereby proportionally adjusts said ice-skate footwear between a low-speed mode and a high-speed mode based upon a single user input. 
 
   
   
     9. The ice-skate footwear of  claim 8 , wherein said high-speed mode is defined when said first blade is linearly displaced to a fully extended anterior position while said second and third reciprocating linear paths have respective maximum values defined between said second and third blades and said lateral sides respectively. 
   
   
     10. The ice-skate footwear of  claim 8 , wherein said low-speed mode is defined when said first blade is linearly displaced to a fully retracted posterior position while said second and third reciprocating linear paths have a minimum value between said second and third blades and said lateral sides respectively. 
   
   
     11. The ice-skate footwear of  claim 8 , wherein said selectively biasing means comprises:
 a rotary dial configured along an exterior wall of said foot-retaining section; 
 a first linear shaft statically coupled to said rotary dial and being rotated in sync therewith, said first linear shaft having a threaded outer surface extending along a longitudinal length thereof and being oriented at a first angular direction; 
 a rotary gear statically coupled to a distal end of said first linear shaft and being rotated in sync therewith, said rotary gear having a toothed outer circumference and further being medially interposed between said first and second blades; 
 a second linear shaft statically coupled to said rotary gear and being rotated in sync therewith, said second linear shaft having a threaded outer surface extend along a longitudinal length thereof and being oriented at a second angular direction, said second linear shaft being oriented parallel to said first linear shaft; and 
 first and second stabilizing rods connected to said lateral sides of said bottom surface and being registered orthogonal to said second and third blades respectively; 
 wherein said second and third blades linearly reciprocate along said second and third reciprocating linear paths when said rotary dial is articulated along an arcuate path respectively such that said second and third blades simultaneously travel towards and away from said rotary gear when said rotary dial is articulated along clockwise and counter clockwise directions respectively. 
 
   
   
     12. The ice-skate footwear of  claim 11 , wherein said selectively biasing means further comprises:
 a rectilinear track formed along said bottom surface of said foot-retaining section; and 
 a third shaft operably and directly mated with said rotary gear in such a manner that said third shaft is linearly reciprocated along said track and said first reciprocating linear path when said rotary gear is articulated along clockwise and counter clockwise directions respectively. 
 
   
   
     13. A method for assisting a novice user to maintain balance and stability during ice-skating procedures, said multi-blade ice-skate footwear comprising the steps of:
 a. providing a foot-retaining section having a substantially planar bottom surface; 
 b. providing and adjustably connecting a first blade to an anterior portion of said bottom surface; 
 c. providing and adjustably connecting second and third blades to a posterior portion of said bottom surface by spacing said second and third blades from said first blade respectively; and 
 d. selectively biasing said first blade along a first reciprocating linear path while simultaneously biasing said second and third blades along second and third reciprocating linear paths respectively; wherein said second and third linear reciprocating paths are mutually exclusive and non-overlapping with said first linear reciprocating path; wherein said second and third linear reciprocating paths are registered orthogonal to said first linear reciprocating path respectively. 
 
   
   
     14. The method of  claim 13 , wherein step d. comprises the steps of:
 i. automatically displaces said first blade along said bottom surface while synchronously displacing said second and third blades along said bottom surface; and 
 ii. proportionally adjusting said ice-skate footwear between a low-speed mode and a high-speed mode based upon a single user input; wherein said first reciprocating linear path is equal to said second and third reciprocating linear paths respectively. 
 
   
   
     15. The method of  claim 14 , wherein step ii. comprises the step of said adapting said ice-skate to said high-speed mode by performing the following step
 linearly displacing said first blade to a fully extended anterior position while said second and third reciprocating linear paths have respective maximum values defined between said second and third blades and said lateral sides respectively. 
 
   
   
     16. The method of  claim 14 , wherein step ii. further comprises: the step of adapting said ice-skate footwear to said low-speed mode by performing the following step
 linearly displacing said first blade to a fully retracted posterior position while said second and third reciprocating linear paths have a minimum value between said second and third blades and said lateral sides respectively. 
 
   
   
     17. The method of  claim 14 , wherein step d. further comprises the steps of:
 providing and configuring a rotary dial along an exterior wall of said foot-retaining section; 
 providing and statically coupling a first linear shaft to said rotary dial such that said first linear shaft is rotatable in sync therewith, said first linear shaft having a threaded outer surface extending along a longitudinal length thereof and being oriented at a first angular direction; 
 providing and statically coupling a rotary gear to a distal end of said first linear shaft such that said rotary gear is rotatable in sync therewith, said rotary gear having a toothed outer circumference and further being medially interposed between said first and second blades; 
 providing and statically coupling a second linear shaft to said rotary gear such that said second linear shaft is rotatable in sync therewith, said second linear shaft having a threaded outer surface extend along a longitudinal length thereof and being oriented at a second angular direction, said second linear shaft being oriented parallel to said first linear shaft; 
 providing and connecting first and second stabilizing rods to said lateral sides of said bottom surface such that said first and second stabilizing rods are registered orthogonal to said second and third blades respectively; 
 linearly reciprocating said second and third blades linearly reciprocate along said second and third reciprocating linear paths by articulating said rotary dial along an arcuate path respectively such that said second and third blades simultaneously travel towards and away from said rotary gear when said rotary dial is articulated along clockwise and counter clockwise directions respectively. 
 
   
   
     18. The method of  claim 17 , wherein step d. further comprises the steps of:
 providing a rectilinear track formed along said bottom surface of said foot-retaining section; 
 providing and operably mating a third shaft directly with said rotary gear in such a manner; and 
 articulating said rotary gear along clockwise and counter clockwise directions respectively and thereby linearly reciprocating said third shaft along said track and said first reciprocating linear path.